TO CLIMB EVEREST

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 88, 13 April 1935, Page 13

TO CLIMB EVEREST

COMPLIMENT TO N.Z.

MR. A. P. HARPER'S

COMMENTS

Commenting on the selection of Mr. L. V. Bryant, of the' staff of the Palmerston North High School, as a member of the reconnaissance party for the Everest Expedition next year, the president of the New Zealand Alpine Club (Mr. A. P. Harper) said that he had sent an application in for Mr. Bryant for the last expedition, addressing it to General Bruce, who was then one of the members of the expedition, and was commander of the previous expedition, but the time was too short for a personal interview. Since then , Mr. Bryant had been to,'the Old Country, and Mr. Harper had been in touch with the leading Alpine men at Home. They evidently thought that Mr. Bryant was fitted for the position, which he undoubtedly, was.

"Whether Mr. Bryant will be included in the final climbing parties or not remains to be seen," said Mr. Harper, "but even'if he is only to form part of the organisation to the higher climbs it will be an experience everybody will envy him. We. do not know the procedure that will be adopted, but judging from previous experiences and from' what I have learnt, I take it that there will be two, or possibly three, actual climbing parties ready to attack the summit in relays. In the event of the failure of one, another will immediately take its place. From Mr. Bryant's capabilities, and if he can stand the test of altitude, which is one of the im-, portant things, L would not be surprised if he is included in one of the final climbing parties, seeing that he is practically a self-taught mountaineer, like nearly all other leading New Zealand mountaineers. His selection is a very great compliment to New Zealand climbing, and shows that our standard of skill in Alpine climbing is equal to that of any other country. Most of our club'parties make guideless climbs. It will be a tremendously popular* selection with New Zealand mountaineers. Mr. Bryant's record in New Zealand is extremely good, and on his last visit'to Switzerland he did a •good deal of guideless climbing."

PERMISSION FOR EXPEDITION. There had ,been an impression that there would not be another expedition for some twenty years.^ Mr. Harper disclosed a most interesting position. When a' Lama died in Tibet, he said, there had to be a reincarnation, and the reincarnation of the future Lama, had to be discovered. Until the new Lama was found and placed in power, nobody could grant permission for such an expedition. As the reincarnation of the new Lama might appear iri a baby, the date of whose birth was uncertain, it was evident that if that proved to be the case, it would be impossible for such a Lama to have the power to grant permission for at least another twenty years. What had happened he did not know, but it could be seen that last year there was every probability of the postponement of the expedition for an indefinite period. It had been a great surprise, therefore, to learn recently that another expedition was planned. A possible explanation was that the influence of General Bruce had been at work. . General Bruce was a leader of two previous/ expeditions, and was intensely interested in the conquest of Everest. He was much looked up to by the Gurkhas, with whom he had first made touch as a subaltern in a Gurkha regiment in 1893. He had obtained permission to train some of them in Himalayan work, and was in fact looked up to as a father by all the ,'tiill tribeSj '